The invention relates to a tool and process for mechanical surface conditioning of metals and, more particularly, to a tool and process for mechanical surface conditioning of metals to mitigate susceptibility to crack initiation or growth of small cracks due to tensile surface stresses.
Tensile stresses can be found in the welds and heat affected zones of a nuclear reactor. Previous attempts have addressed surface conditioning of such welds when jet pumps have been removed, such as when the reactor internals have been removed and replaced including the jet pumps. Without the internal components removed, however, it is difficult to access welds in the shroud outside diameter and vessel inside diameter between the jet pumps. To the inventor's knowledge, no other product exists that can access these welds to apply a renew process.